Augustan Empire
The Augustan Empire (Modern Augustan: Αυγυστανα Ιμπερϊο Aŭgustana Imperio, Archaic Augustan: Αυγυσταναμ Ιμπερϊομ Aùgustanam Imperiom) was an Empire that ruled most of the South of Majatra in the Middle Ages. The empire's roots lay in ancient Selucian colonization on the shores of the Sea of Majatra and the ancient Kingdom of Leucopolis, a Selucian-speaking successor state of the Qedarite Empire. After much aggressive expansion, it was the dominant empire in Majatra until its considerable decline and eventual demise in the period of 1353 - 1401. Prehistory Selucian Colonization and Qedarite Rule Ancient Selucian civilization, flourishing on the Selucian archipelago at an early stage and developing around independent city-states, began an intensive process of colonization on the shores of the Sea of Majatra from around the 7th century BCE. Modern-day Ushalande was one of the areas heavily colonized by ancient Selucians, and in the 2nd century BCE, Ushalande was brought under the political control of the Qedarite Empire as the Province of Leucopolis. When the Empire fell in 22 CE, the Selucian-speaking Kingdom of Leucopolis was one of its successor states. Kingdom of Leucopolis (22 - 392) The Kingdom of Leucopolis was one of the few areas of the former Empire that resisted conquest by the invading Jelbo-Tukarics. The Kingdom was characterized by the synthesis of Selucian and Kalopian cultures, typical of the Qedarite Empire's southern provinces and that would later characterize the Augustan Empire. Conquests of Augustus (392 - 433) In 392 CE, Augustus became the King of the Kingdom of Leucopolis. After consolidating his rule over the often rebellious Selucian city-states in Leucopolis, Augustus began one of the largest and most successful campaigns of conquests in Terran history. Having subdued the neighbouring Selucian and Kalopian colonies around Leucopolis and conquering the various Qedarite tribes to the South, in 395 Augustus initiated the conquest of the Kingdom of Irkawa, the largest territorial empire on the continent. Following a rapid seven-year campaign, the entire Kingdom was conquered by Augustus in 402, who was then proclaimed Pharaoh of Irkawa. Ruling from the newly founded city of Augusta on the shores of Lake Majatra, Augustus spent the rest of his reign expanding his empire to the north and consolidating his dynasty. At his death in 433, Augustus left one of the largest empires that had ever been formed, an empire that was to bear his name and give birth to the Augustan people. Successors of Augustus (433-896) The Dioclid Dynasty of Leucopolis from which Augustus hailed continued to rule over the Augustan Empire. Augustus' son Cassander I and his grandson, Lysander I, expanded the Empire westward, bringing Augustan rule over the territory of contemporary Deltaria, Kalopia, Solentia, and Istalia. The Dioclids continued their reign until the dynasty was extinguished during the civil wars of the 9th century. Adoption of Hosianism (509) The early Augustan Empire officially followed the Selucian polytheist religion, which was the dominant faith in Leucopolis. The practice of other polytheistic religions, primarily the Irkawan religion, Arkhē, was also prevalent. Hosianism, a religion founded in 1 CE, had expanded around the coasts of the Majatran Sea under the Qedarite Empire, although the faith was often persecuted. By the early 6th century, Hosianism had spread throughout the territory ruled by the Augustan Empire, and it was the largest faith in a number of cities. In 509 Emperor Alexius I converted to Hosianism; although only around 10% of the Empire's population was Hosian at the time, the religion was widely adopted by the political elite and the urban-dwellers. Alexius' conversion to Hosianism was seen as a way of unifying his Empire under a single Faith and a single God. The Empire as a whole followed suite, and by the next century the entire Augustan land was Hosian, although pagan beliefs continued to be practiced in rural areas for centuries. The conversion of the Empire to Hosianism established the Augustan Church as the state church of the Augutan Empire. The Augustan bishops participated in the Council of Auroria and became part of the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra. Unlike Alexius, whose conversion to Hosianism granted state support to the religion without placing it above other religions and whose involvement in matters of the Church extended to convoking councils of bishops who were to determine doctrine and to presiding at their meetings, but not to determining doctrine himself, his heirs established a single Hosian doctrine, specified as that professed by the Aurorian Arch-Patriarch, as the Empire's official religion. Around the 7th century caesaropapism was estabished as the constitution of the Augustan Church, and the Emperor gained the right and duty of regulating by his laws the minutest details of worship and discipline, and also of dictating the theological opinions to be held in the Church. The Patriarch of Augusta was established as the head of the Imperial Church, and although Augustan bishops officially recognized the authority of the Aurorian Arch-Patriarch, they were fully subordinate to the Emperor. Opposition to the religious policy of the Imperial government amongst the Empire's ethnic minorities led to many of them seceding from the Augustan Church and establishing their own hierarchies. The Aurorian Church had been established as a result of a serious Pneumatological controversy regarding Eliyahu's nature, and the rejected doctrine of the single person within the Godhead was adopted by the Hobrazian and Kathuran Churches; Barmenian missionaries later spread their unitarian beliefs among the Irkawans and Mallans, who, rejecting the Imperial Church's allegiance to the Emperor, officially adopted Unitarianism. The Unitarians were persecuted throughout the Empire's existence, subsiding to this day in the Coburan Apostolic Tewahedo Church. Deltarian Invasions (c. 550-c. 600) Civil Wars (896 - 1007) Reign of Caesar (1007 - 1045) By 1011 AD, the Empire covered nearly all of Southern Majatra. The expansion of the empire had been overseen by the Emperor Michael IV (r. 972-978), and after his death, his surviving generals. The new Emperor, Caesar, was not expected to achieve his father's successes, but would earn his place in history as a great Emperor. His achievements on and off the battlefield are detailed here. Further Expansion: The Peak of the Empire's reach Trade of exotic produce from continents to the west would in time prove to be a lucrative opportunity for the Empire, though few would see that at the time. Ceasar was one who did, and ordered two significant invasions of Northern territory in modern day Zardugal. The Western "saqéya" Campaign would take the western coast of modern day Zardugal, holding or founding port towns which would become key to the economy of the Empire. The "Majatra" campaign would succesfully take the western coast of Lake Majatra for the empire, in modern-day Eastern Zardugal. Here the city of Venetium was founded as a key trading link between those coming from the west wanting to sell to those in Eastern Majatra. In 1040 AD, the Empire would achieve its largest land extent since the significant loss of territory with the arrival of the Deltarians around 600 CE. This massive area would remain under Imperial control until the Great War of the South 170 years later. Cultural Expansion in Domale The Empire was not an omnipotent authority during this time. In Domale the population considerd themselves to be independent of the Empire and tax collection, as well as the enforcement of law, was a problem. Emperor Caesar commissioned the construction of Nova Roma and the considerable expansion of the township of Doma - which would be renamed Caesarea after his death. These new cities were built as part of the strategy to assimilate the local population into the mainstream catholic population of the Empire. Doma, in particular, already being a Domale town, would host a cultural battle which the Empire would win. Nova Roma would be heavily fortified and hold little connection with the surrounding area until many local markets were relocated there towards the end of Caesar's reign in 1034 AD, with the cathedral there not being completed until 1231 AD. An immediate effect of the investment in the area was the renewed collection of taxes and tributes from the Domale population. Great War of the South (1234 - 1242) The Great War of the South would lead to the establishment of the modern border between Cobura and Jakania and the growth of the Ahmadi Caliphate and the near collapse of the Empire. A delicate balance of political alliances would ensure the survival of the Augustan Empire in the south for the following decades, at great cost to imperial unity. The resulting racial tensions and relationship with the Tokundian Empire would all contribute to the eventual decline of the Empire. Though it would happen long after his death, Ceasar's policy would save the Empire in this instance. As the Turjaks were converting to Ahmadism en masse, and as the Tokundian Empire was conducting raids against the Turjaks, the Empire's Eastern fronier became host to a cultural as well as military struggle. The war began with a great military folly on the part of then Emperor Anthony. As the increasingly militant Turjaks began attacking the Tokundian Empire, the Tokundians would not find peace in with the Turjak and, in an effort to eliminate the Turjak threat, began a series of campaigns into Jakanian lands. Anthony immediately ordered that they be attacked and driven back, starting of the Great War of the South. No victory could be assured against the Tokundians, who moved their vast but dense column slowly westward. War against the column soon turn vicious, and Jakania's settlements were strained to defend themselves against Tokundiam raids. Sympathy for the Tokundians, whose history was known, also added to war weariness in the Empire. In the Jakanian provinces, the violent and inconclusive conflict with the Tokundi sparked the desire for independence of local Ahmadis. The regional government would revolt against the Empire and support Turjak independence in the summer of 1235, with Caliphate support. Only because of the threat of vicious racial war with the large Mallan population in Dilganato did the government there refuse to declare support for the invasion. The Turjak rebellion was launched partly for the popular glory of uniting the South Majatran Ahmadis, and partly to prevent a Tokundi retreat eastward. The Augustans had lost all major cities and military installations in Jakania by 1236. Having lost Borenu and facing attack from two armies, one of whom would have sympathizers in Dilganato's Ahmadi population, Emperor Anthony approached the Jelbeks for assistance, who refused. Anthony's earlier folly and the loss of Jskania, along with the demands of the Tokundians meant that he was now faced with a political crisis. High racial temperament caused by the Turjak victory in Jakania meant that the Tokundians would not accept peace with the Empire for fear of upsetting the delicate racial balance. Anthony would instead play on these tensions to make a deal with local Mallans to hold the eastern border in return for the continuation of Caesar's tax amnesties (something they stood to lose under Turjak rule). Similarly, Anthony would negotiate the safe and speedy passage of the Tokundi column through the south of the Empire. Mallan militias combined with regular non-Ahmadi units of the Augustan Army were able to hold the Turjak at the modern border between Dilganato and Borenu. A peaceful accord was reached in 1237 that would save the Augustan Empire and Anthony's own position, while formalising the Turjak victory in Jakania. Non-Irkawan units and Tokundian warriors meanwhile initiated a very successful invasion of the Augustan Empire. Anthony almost certainly saved his position with this victory, as the very presence of the Tokundians inside the Empire's borders had strengthened opposition against him. Crucial to the success of Augustan armies was a complete ban on travel and trade by Mallans, Ahmadis and Irkawans across De Malla and Egato. By interrupting the possible flow of news, Anthony was able to maintain the loyalty of Ahmadi soldiers in the west and Irkawan and Mallan soldiers in the East. After the war, those cultural leaders who were unhappy with the Empire's actions were purged. The conduct of the Empire in this war would be seen as a symbol of Augustan opression by many races until the Empire's demise over a century later. Anthony's legacy is disputed between those who condemn his initial folly and divisive conduct as spelling the beginning of the end for the Empire, and those who praise his military and political tact for saving it from near destruction. The Turjaks, having secured their independence from the Empire, established the Great Empire of Turjak as a vassal to the Caliphate, leading to the growth of Ahmadi power and setting the foundations for an independent and Ahmadi Jakania. Ahmadi Conquest (1353 - 1401) Legacy Category:Majatra Category:History Category:History of Majatra